Peng peng peng!
The Ancient Sages plopped heavily onto the ground, forming numerous craters on the elevated platform.
Given their current cultivation, they would not die instantly even after they were reduced to bones. However, they had hibernated for far too long, and they had not fully recovered from the wounds that they had sustained during the encirclement of Sovereign Chen Yong. If they did not receive sufficient Aeon of Ancient Sage to replenish their vitality, their lifespan would swiftly dwindle, and they would die without doubt.
In other words, they were really putting their lives on the line to stand against the deity!
I can’t allow those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to die here…
Zhang Xuan had not made a move thus far because his multiple unpleasant encounters with the Hundred Schools of Philosophers in the past, and he had thought that they would be able to handle the situation by themselves. He had worried that his sudden intervention would only worsen the situation as the other Ancient Sages were bound to be wary of him.
However, things were swiftly moving in the worst direction possible. He could not simply watch and leave those Ancient Sages of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to die.
While he found their actions questionable, there was no doubt that they were protecting mankind in their own way, and they had made huge sacrifices for it.
He could not simply watch as they lost their lives.
Driving his energy, as he was just about to charge forth silently to inflict a fatal blow on the deity, Kong Shiyao suddenly spurted another mouthful of blood before commanding, “Stabilize and push him back!”
Weng!
Following her words, the rifts in the sky began to heal simultaneously as the space swiftly stabilized.
At the same time, the deity whose waist was already out of the dimension barrier suddenly retreated hurriedly under the command, moving back to his shoulder.
It was only unfortunate that her cultivation was simply too low compared to the deity’s. Even after using her bloodline ability, she was still unable to push the deity back to the Azure once and for all.
“It’s indeed his bloodline! Wonderful… This is truly superb! With this, the clan head will surely accept me as his direct disciple and grant me endless resources!”
Even though he was nearly expelled from the world, the deity did not show the slightest hint of fear toward Kong Shiyao’s technique. Instead, his eyes glowed with frenzied excitement.
At that moment, the corpse of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan also seemed to have absorbed sufficient blood and slowly rose out of the coffin. With clenched fists, he sent a punch right toward the deity climbing out from the rift.
Boom!
This fist was completely devoid of any elegance or flamboyance, but the might it carried was astonishing, reaching the level of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator.
“Heh!”
In face of this devastating might, the deity did not show any trepidation. Instead, with a cold sneer, he placed his hands together.
Si la!
The formation sustained by Ancient Sage Zi Yuan’s corpse was forcefully ripped apart, causing the mercury-like energy to surge into the world.
Under the sheer weight of the energy, Ancient Sage Yan Qing was crushed into the ground. As if there was a mountain weighing down on him, he was unable to move at all.
The others were not faring too well either. As Kong Shiyao had activated her bloodline ability, she was still able to somewhat hold her ground. On the other hand, Yan Xue’s face paled as his skin swiftly ripped apart under the pressure, revealing his crimson flesh underneath.
Zhang Xuan was also affected by the mercury-like energy too, but it was not too severe for him. He was the strongest among the Ancient Sages present, and he had sealed his acupoints beforehand to prevent any of that energy from getting into his body, so the damage that he sustained ended up being the least of all.
Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!
The deity fought with Ancient Sage Zi Yuan’s corpse, but with each blow executed, the strength that the corpse commanded dwindled. On the other hand, with the mercury-like energy suffusing the area, the deity seemed to be growing stronger by the moment.
By the eighth blow, there was a resounding explosion as the corpse was sent flying back into the coffin.
“Bloodline Ignition!”
With crimson eyes, Kong Shiyao roared wrathfully as she began igniting her bloodline once more. But this time around, before she could finish her move, the deity sneered coldly, “Save your effort on this futile struggle. Just because I need you alive doesn’t mean that I’ll overlook your insolence!”
Following which, another palm strike descended from the rift.
Pu!
Kong Shiyao’s body immediately plummeted from the sky from the impact.
Bearing the risk of his meridians ripping apart, Yan Xue forcefully drove his zhenqi to catch her.
“Hahaha!”
After knocking back Ancient Sage Zi Yuan’s corpse and striking down Kong Shiyao, the deity laughed heartily as he finally pushed himself out of the rift and floated in the air with his hands crossed triumphantly before his chest.
The reason he had been troubled climbing out of the dimension barrier earlier was due to the formation obstructing his path. However, with the formation swiftly crumbling under the influx of the mercury-like energy, there was no longer anything that could stop him.
“I was curious as to what kind of environment could give birth to such an overpowered individual, but I must say that I’m very disappointed by what I’m seeing here!” the deity sneered coldly as he reached out to grab Kong Shiyao.
Alarmed, Yan Xue rushed forward to pull Kong Shiyao back, but he was sent flying with a simple flick of a finger. He crashed onto the ground, and the bones in his body shattered from the impact.
“You’re coming with me!” the deity commanded.
Hula!
He wrapped Kong Shiyao with a membrane of energy, trapping her.
“No!”
Seeing how the only descendant of Kong shi to possess a bloodline purity of ‘8’ over the past thousand years getting captured, everyone’s eyes widened in horror.
But with the huge disparity of power between them and the enemy, there was nothing they could do. They had already tried everything that was at their disposal, but it was futile.
“Is the Kunxu Domain that Kong shi created going to be destroyed in my generation? How could I allow this to happen?” Ancient Sage Yan Qing trembled intensely as he shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to accept reality.
Back then, even though Kong shi had spared the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe out of magnanimity, he had been convinced that mankind would only grow stronger with time and that they would be able to overcome any threats that came their way.
However, not even the great Kong shi had expected the Aeon of Ancient Sage to suddenly vanish from the world. This phenomenon had turned the tables around, and all of a sudden, mankind had been put in a precarious position once more.
Even though they had successfully curbed the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind was still unable to return to its golden era.
Had it been before the emergence of the Temple of Confucius, there would have been no way anyone would have been able to bypass the dimension barrier. However, with the destruction of the Temple of Confucius, the formation sealing the dimension barrier was growing weaker with each passing moment.
Even if they expended all of their lifespans right now to augment the barrier, it would bring them nothing more than temporary relief.
Would things have been any different if that man was there?
At this moment, Ancient Sage Yan Qing could not help but think of the Celestial Master Teacher known as Zhang Xuan.
That fellow might have been young, but he had produced miracles time and time again.
Based on what he knew, that fellow had managed to kill a deity that Sovereign Chen Ling had summoned a deity through a ritual…
If that fellow was with them, would he have been able to kill the deity before them? Would he have been able to save the Hundred Schools of Philosophers from the impending crisis that was lying just ahead of them?
“These are all futile thoughts. He isn’t here, and our relationship with him is poor…” Ancient Sage Yan Qing shook his head helplessly.
Putting aside that there was no way outsiders would be able to get in there, even if that man was there, it was likely that he would be reluctant to help them.
While they shared the common goal of freeing mankind from the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, their difference in values had caused several clashes between one another, resulting in the deterioration of their relations.
“Even if I lose my life today, I have to save Kong Shiyao at any cost. She’s the hope of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, so nothing bad can come to her!”
Knowing that it was meaningless to think about all that, Ancient Sage Yan Qing gathered the final dregs of his strength, hoping to launch a decisive attack that would at least buy Kong Shiyao some time to make her escape. But at this moment, a cold glint suddenly flashed through the air.
As swift as lightning, it darted right toward the deity’s throat.
“This…”
Taken aback by the sudden emergence of such an expert, Ancient Sage Yan Qing was taken aback. He hurriedly took a closer look, and a lofty figure appeared in his sight. It was a sight that he would never be able to erase from his mind.
“It’s Zhang Xuan!”
“He’s here!”
